


Tender

by Magizinu



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Married Couple, Minor Angst, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:09:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25746418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magizinu/pseuds/Magizinu
Summary: After a while, The Iron Bull begins to grow distant, though Yelran is unsure why. On an odd day off at a tavern in the middle of nowhere, however, he gets his answer.
Relationships: Iron Bull & Original Male Character(s), The Iron Bull/Male Lavellan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	Tender

The chargers were staying at an inn for the day, awaiting a meetup the next day with a secret agent of the Inquisition. An assassin group was in the area and they needed the charger’s expertise to sniff them out and dispatch them.

That meant they had a rare day off. They had gotten to the inn early, putting their horses up and finding rooms. Yelran hadn’t left the room, staying to lounge on the bed. They had left Maera at camp a little ways off with Rocky, who was still recovering a bad infection. It was too dangerous a mission to take either of them.

Without Maera to watch or the normal tasks to do, Yelran was left feeling stumped. He had the whole day, but couldn’t think of a single thing to do.

The door creaked open and Bull peeked through.

“Just got word. They’ll be here early tomorrow morning.”

“Good. We’ll get a head start.”

“Look, Kadan.” Yelran sat up on the bed, turning to Bull. He threw something at him and he started, trying to catch it. 

“They had snow oranges downstairs.”

Snow oranges were a type that grew only in the free marches, where Yelran had grown up with his clan. They were pale orange and tasted more bitter than most oranges, but Yelran loved them.

“Thank you.” He beamed up at the Quanari, peeling the fruit tenderly.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a whole day to kill.” He leaned against the doorframe, watching Yelran with an easy expression.  
Not just that, Yelran thought, but it had been a while since they had spent time together. With a series of issues to solve for the inquisition and Maera, there was little time to just enjoy each other’s company. It had left Yelran feeling kind of distant from Bull, not as connected. It was a strange feeling that was hard to notice when things were busy, but in the quiet he felt it. Bull had been distant too, sometimes coming to bed very late and was scarce when Yelran looked for him. Sometimes when they talked he could tell he was thinking of something else.

“Do you have any ideas on what to do? I can’t seem to think of anything.” He asked, chewing an orange slice. It tasted just like the ones he picked in his childhood, if not as fresh.

“I don’t either. We could walk around, see what’s nearby.”

Yelran considers it. “Sounds good. Though if you’re expecting something like a dragon, I’m afraid you might be disappointed.”

Bull laughs. “Well, there goes that idea.”

Yelran puts his boots on, shrugging on an overcoat. His hair is undone but he doesn’t bother putting it up. As he passes Bull through the door he pushes an orange slice in his mouth. He makes a face.

“I forgot how sour these are.” Their footsteps echoed in the narrow stairwell that led to the first floor of the tavern.

“That’s why they’re good.”

“Hmm.”

Yelran waves at the innkeeper as they leave, a kind, older man with Phoenix tattoos on his arm. Yelran thinks he’s an ex-chevalier, but he wouldn’t mention it. Bull had probably already figured out his life story, the ass.

The air outside was fair, stirred by a slight breeze. There was little to see outside save for the stable and a road that led to a small town.

“I wonder how Maera’s doing.” Yelran muses as he finishes the orange. They’re walking through a grass field that looks golden in the sunlight and smells like wheat and flowers.

“I’m sure she’s having a good time exhausting Rocky.” Bull reaches down to entwine their fingers.

They walk in silence for a while, passing under a grove of giant trees that shade the grass. Locusts and mayflies flutter away as they disturb the grass, their wings shining under the sun. They’re walking at a leisurely pace, which makes Yelran mildly confused. He’d gotten the impression that they would be running around, investigating the area.  
Eventually they wandered into a sort or meadow lined with trees, with tall grass adorned with tiny white and yellow flowers clustering up their stalks. Fat bees and gnats wander from flower to flower, their legs caked in pollen.

Bull slowed to a halt, making Yelran turn to him in question. The Qunari was acting odd, and he was about to ask him about it when Bull spoke.

“I know you’ve been feeling kind of distant lately.” His voice is soft, but he’s looking away, at the tree line.

Yelran sighs. “I can’t keep anything private with you, can I?”

Bull gives him an apologetic look and Yelran feels bad. Bull can’t really help it.

“I know it’s mostly my fault.”

“It’s not, we’ve been so busy lately.” Yelran assures, but still he feels doubt. He wants to hear what Bull has to say.

“No, that’s just it. I’ve been taking on so many missions so I can get away from other things.”

Yelran stays quiet, listening. He can see Bull is having a hard time talking about this, whatever it is, so he lets him pause to choose his words.

“When I became Tal-Vashoth, I kind of just accepted it. I thought the Ben-Hassrath were being stupid, but I didn’t disagree with them. I was still Qunari.”

He kicked the grass, pausing again.

“The only thing I reconsidered was the idea that Qunari couldn’t love, which was bullshit. But Maera, she’s a Saarebas. In Par Vollen, if they hadn’t killed her, they would have chained her up, sewn her mouth shut and forced her to stare at verses of the qun all day. She would be led around by a chain.”  
Finally, he turned around to face Yelran. He had a desperate expression, like he was afraid Yelran would leave all of a sudden or get angry.

“And I see the way you treat her, you’re not afraid to play with her and cuddle with her, and she calls me papa, and it feels so right compared to how I was raised. The only comfort we got was when our Tamassrans would try to coax us to sleep. I’ve been running away from the fact that everything they taught us, everything I fought for in Seheron, was flawed. It was wrong. Some of it was blatantly cruel. I’m scared to do anything that would make me less Qunari, but at the same time I hate myself for doing it.”

Yelran can’t stand there any longer, watching Bull grow more distressed as he tries to explain himself. He hugs him tight, burying his head in his chest. Bull makes a surprised noise, then Yelran can feel his hand rest tentatively on his back.

“I can’t imagine how it must be to suddenly question everything you’ve been taught to be true. I’m sorry you’ve had to struggle alone, Vhenan. Why did you wait so long to tell me?”

Bull squeezes him back now. He kisses Yelran’s slivering hair before continuing, “I didn’t want to make you concerned. But I pushed you away. I’m- I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok.” He cranes his neck to meet Bull’s eye. Bull still looks distressed, just not as desperate.

“Thank you for telling me.” Yelran reaches up to cup the sides of his face, bringing him down for a kiss. It’s sweet and gentle, Yelran trying to show Bull everything Is ok, Bull letting Yelran lead the kiss. Eventually he pulls away, resting his forehead against the elf’s.  
“You taste like oranges.” He whispers.

Yelran snorts. “I wonder why that is.”

Taking Bull’s hands in his own, he sways them back and forth. The insects around them buzz a steady harmony under the sun but the shade from the trees is cool. He feels so soft in this moment, so tender, he almost starts to cry. The fact that Bull has been struggling, the fact that he trusted him enough to tell him all this, the fact that he was _scared Yelran would leave when he told him_ , made his heart hurt for him.

Eventually their swaying turned into a slow dance, one of Bull’s hands on Yelran’s back and the other clasped with the elf’s hand. This was so nice, Bull allowing himself to be vulnerable and affectionate.

“You know no matter what you do, I’m not going anywhere, right?” Yelran asks.

“Yeah. Sometimes I don’t know why, but I’m grateful you do.”

“It’s because you’re an amazing husband and the love of my life.”

“Mmm.” Bull hums as he nuzzles into Yelran’s hair.

Yelran laughs as their little dance speeds up, performing some kind of frostback basin-esque sway. They move back and forth, spinning around faster until they fall back in the grass. Bull is smiling again, to Yelran’s relief.

“I’m glad we get the day together.” He pulls Yelran to his side.

There are small black birds in the tree branches above, hopping about with sticks in their mouths. Yelran watches them lazily. It’s so pleasant out, especially under the trees. It almost seems like a scene from a romance novel. Probably not one written by Varric.

“It’s nice to be able to enjoy the world we saved.” He murmured.

“Yeah. I’ll never forget that day you faced down Corypheous. You were so badass.”

“I was terrified. So much depended on us winning. But I had you, and Cassandra and Dorian, and all of our soldiers and mages behind me.”

“I do enjoy not being dead.” Bull tilts his head to kiss Yelran again.

Bull is being so gentle with him, it makes Yelran feel like his insides are going soft. Bulls arms are strong and protective around him. He feels so close to him in this moment, and his heart is rejoicing after feeling distant for a while. He wished he could make Bull feel all the love bubbling up in his chest. Well, maybe he could…

He pushed his hand up between Bull’s legs, palming him through his pants. Bull stopped kissing him, pulling away.

“You don’t have to- don’t think that’s why I dragged you out here-“

Yelran cut off his worrying. “I want to be as close to you as I possibly can.”

“Are you sure? There’s nothing wrong with just laying here with you.”

“I know, Vhenan. And I love that too. But I want to. Let me show you how much I adore you.”

Bull’s determined expression softened at the genuine tone in Yelran’s voice. This wasn’t about lust, it wasn’t physical, it was a meeting of body and soul, to reassure each other of their love.

Yelran continues palming him while they kiss, feeling him slowly get hard under his hand. They hadn’t coupled for a while, except a brief bout where Bull was riled up and had stroked them both to completion. So despite his initial resistance, he succumbs easily to the teasing.

When he starts breathing faster and groaning against Yelran’s mouth, he pulls back, kneeling next to him.

“Take your clothes off.” Came the whispered command. Bull complies, kicking off his shoes and undoing his belt. Yelran removes his coat and tunic, folding them into a pile in the grass. The breeze is cool against his bare skin, and the grass behind him tickles his back as it sways in the wind.

When he gets all of his own clothes off and stacked away he looks up. Bull is sitting, watching him with an adoring expression. It’s exactly how he looked at him when Yelran gave him the dragon tooth necklace, all those years ago.

Bull is semi-erect, still halfway sheathed. Yelran was already aroused, his length heavy between his legs. But he needed Bull to be fully out before he could do what he wanted. So he crouched between his legs, ducking his head so he could kiss around Bull’s length. Then he takes the part he can get to in his mouth, encouraging his arousal with his hand.

That seems to be effective, Bull making a deep purring sound as his cock fully unsheathes.

Yelran gets up again, laying perpendicular to Bull, resting his head on his belly. From here he can take him mostly in his mouth. He snakes one hand down so he can rub himself as he sucks, and with the other one he grabs Bull’s hand, squeezing gently.

“Don’t hold your noises in, or I’ll stop.” And with that, he takes him back in his mouth, swirling his tongue continuously around Bull’s length. Above him, the Qunari lets out a breath.

He doesn’t suck, he just swirls his tongue, one of his hands teasing his own cock with light fingers. Bull’s breath turns into little ahs and his hand leaves Yelran’s to stroke his hair with surprising tenderness. It sends tingles down his body, so he tightens his lips and gives a little suck before continuing his swirling around Bull’s head.

Bull groans. This is entirely different from what he’s used to. The way Yelran is caressing him with such gentleness, his head resting on Bull’s stomach, makes him feel like he’s dissolving into a haven of warmth and wetness and softness. And the fact that Yelran is at the same time touching himself, eliciting soft moans as he sucks him, makes him feel incredibly close to him. More close than they had been in quite a while.

Bull continues to play with his hair, seeing that Yelran likes it. Every once in a while he will stop the swirling of his tongue and suck gently, or give a tiny bite behind his glans, which makes Bull’s legs tense up in pleasure. Then he goes on swirling. The longer it goes on the more into it he gets, the pressure of his tongue increasing slightly. Bull can’t keep the soft noises that bubble up inside him hidden, so he lets himself moan and whimper, enjoying hearing Yelran’s moans as he touches himself. He’s used to grunts and screams, so moaning doesn’t usually come naturally. But he couldn’t think to do anything else right now.

“Yelran…” he whispers, unsure what he wants, but just feels like he has to say his name. So he repeats it over and over, between soft moans and gasps. The elf responds by sucking a few times, stroking his stomach assuringly.

The longer he does it, the better it feels. He doesn’t feel close yet, but the simple swirling of his tongue makes him want to arch his back in pleasure. Yelran is whimpering too now, soft little needy noises as he thumbs over his slit, stroking himself with a loose hand.

Bull doesn’t think he’s ever felt so connected to Yelran in his life. There’s no dominance here, no lust-driven frantic grinding or dirty talk. It’s just simple love. It’s so unbelievably soft that Bull feels like he might break into a million pieces at any point. It’s almost like they’ve melded into one being, where Bull can feel Yelran’s pleasure and he can feel Bull’s. He’d never imagined sex could be like this. But the again, this wasn’t really sex, was it?

“Oh!” He gasps as a spark of pleasure shoots up his body. Yelran is rhythmically stroking his slit with his tongue. From this position he can’t thrust, though even if he could it wouldn’t feel right, not now. So he stroked Yelran’s hair, trying to channel all of these soft feelings through his fingertips and into the elf.

The pleasure is numbing, making his whole body tingle. He can’t stifle the gasps and moans from escaping him now, and Yelran is not better off, humming around Bull’s length and trusting into his own hand.

Yelran grasps for Bull’s hand then, and he gets the sense that he must be close too. Bull threads their fingers together and he can feel the heat in his body growing, and he can feel heat and wetness on his own face, and for one long, tense moment, they’re both teetering on the edge together.

And then Yelran lets out a cry and sucks Bull hard, and they’re both coming, and Bull feels like he and Yelran aren’t even in their own bodies anymore. The hand he’s gripping for dear life might as well be Yelran’s soul, he feels so close to him.

It takes a while before that tingling feeling goes away, and Bull finally returns to his body, his breath shaking as he breathes.

“Yelran?” He asks gently, squeezing his hand. Slowly he gets up, giving Bull a knowing smile. Bull gathers him in his arms and hugs him tight, burying his face in his hair.  
Yelran makes a comforting noise, strokes Bulls neck.

Yelran had just laid him bare, taken account of everything he’s hidden away, the good and the terrible, and still he embraces him like he’s the most precious thing in the world. Bull would’ve thought that would make him weak; that’s what they were taught about love. That it took away your defenses, left you open to disaster. But he’d never felt so strong in his life.

“Love is hard.” Yelran whispers, kissing his cheek.

“Worth it.” Bull whispers back, trying to keep his voice steady.

Yelran leans back so he can pepper Bull’s face with butterfly kisses.

“I didn’t mean to start crying.” He rumbles.

“It happens. It’s a good thing.”

“Hey.” He takes Yelran’s face in his hands, rubbing a thumb over a freckled cheek. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for telling me what was wrong.”

“Mmh.” He rubs their noses together. They’re both tired, their stamina has worn down over the years and it was already late in the day. Yelran’s eyelids feel heavy and warm, and he lay his head down on Bull’s chest with a contented sound.

“We should head back to the inn.” Bull says quietly. Yelran hums agreement, waiting a moment longer before getting up to redress. The sun has waned and casts long rosy shadows on the field. Specks of gold can be seen when the wings of dragonflies flitting about catch the last of the sun.

Yelran finds himself transfixed in the simple, beautiful landscape. Everything is so quiet, peaceful. Serene.

He feels himself picked up from behind and gasps, his surprise tuning quickly into amusement. Bull holds him bridal-style, with Yelran’s arms around his neck, and starts on the path back to the inn. For once, Yelran lets him carry him without fuss, relaxing in his arms.

Bull carries him most of the way back, putting him down only when the inn came into view so they don’t return looking like a just-married couple. He’d never hear the end of it from the Chargers.

The two of them waste the rest of the day together doing everything and nothing, not once thinking about the mission tomorrow or the battles to come. None of it matters; all they care about is that they’re alive, together, and at peace.


End file.
